Amazon Superfood Smoothie

Are those dark winter nights getting you down in? Are you in need of some tropical sunshine? Or or you just needing a huge boost of energy? Well, how does a nutrient dense, antioxidant rich, vitamin packed, super hydrating smoothie sound? 

Today we are going to meet two of the world's most nutrient dense superfoods. First, let us introduce camu camu. Camu camu is a fruit that comes from the dense jungles of Brazil. This food is absolutely packed full of goodness. Camu camu contains more vitamin C than any other food! (1/2 of a teaspoon provides you with more than 400% of your daily value!). That's about 30 - 50 times more vitamin C than oranges!. It is also a good quality source of antioxidants, minerals, phytochemicals and amino acids. On top of that camu camu also provides us with anti viral and anti inflammatory properties.

The second superfood we are going to use in this smoothie is acai berry. You have probably read acai berry before but never knew how to pronounce it. It is pronounced 'AH-SIGH-EEE'. Acai berries are also native to the rainforests of Brazil and they have been becoming more and more famous for their super high anti oxidant properties. Acai berries have a beautiful deep purple colour and have a very unique flavor. I love adding acai to my superfood smoothies for an added boost of anti oxidants, vitamins and phytonutrients.

Our world today is more contaminated than ever before and we are now exposed to unprecedented levels of toxins in our environment. It is vital that we make sure we are getting enough antioxidant rich foods in our diets to help our bodies combat free radical damage that are contributing to the aging and deteriorating of our cells. Fortunately, nowadays we have access to wonderful healing foods from all over the world that we can use to our advantage. By adding in to our juices and smoothies nutrient dense foods like acai berries and camu camu we are doing our bodies a huge favor. I can guarantee you will be buzzing after drinking this smoothie.

For this smoothie you will need.......


A BLENDER
1 JUICY RIPE PINEAPPLE
2 ORANGES
2 TBSP ACAI BERRY POWDER
1 TBSP CAMU CAMU POWDER
COCONUT WATER (OR PURIFIED WATER)





First begin by chopping the head and skin off the pineapple and cut the oranges in half.

Then chop up the pineapple into small chunks to go into the blender

After that use a citrus press to squeeze the juice out of the oranges. If you don't have a citrus press, no problem...squeeze the juice out of the oranges by hand, or if you want some extra fiber, just toss the whole orange into the blender. 

Pour in the orange juice with along with the pineapple

                                                 
Then add in your superfood powders and coconut water. (You can use us much coconut water as you like. If you want the consistency to more liquidy then add more, if you want it to be thicker then add less. There are no rules.

Blend up and enjoy!!

YUMMIIIIIIIII!!! There you go. Amazon....or should I say AMAZING superfood smoothie! This drink is guaranteed to blow your socks off. The huge dose of vitamin C from the camu camu and oranges, the antioxidants from the acai berries, plus all the wonderful benefits benefits of the pineapple will leave your cells singing with joy! 

Peace, love and radiant health to YOU 

Ryan

The Health Benefits of Shaking

One of the quickest ways to relieve tension, stress, and any unwanted energies from the body is to shake. Yes, that's right, the simple act of shaking your body can produce a multitude of health benefits. Although it may seem simple, it is a very powerful technique. Shaking is free, can be practiced by absolutely anyone and can be done anywhere at any time of the day. The main purpose of shaking is to relax the body and release tension. When we shake we are relaxing all our joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, helping us to loosen up and feel relaxed.  Shaking gently bounces our organs and stimulates our lymphatic system. Our lymphatic system is like our bodies draining system and is responsible for the removal of waste material from every cell in the body, in addition to regulating the immune system. Maintaining a healthy lymphatic system is critical if we want to be radiant and healthy. Shaking also benefits our circulatory system. In Yogic traditions it is said that with 11 minutes of shaking you can get similar benefits to 2 hours of aerobic exercise (cardio).

Most of us hold on to a lot of tension in the body, especially around the neck, shoulders and back area. Poor posture, sitting on chairs and sofas for extended periods of time, stress and even negative thought patterns and emotional blockages can all contribute to the build up stress and tension in the body. We spend our days hunched over computers, our heads locked on to our iphone screens, then we go home and slouch on the sofa to watch TV for hours. Our fast paced stress filled lifestyles leave us feeling 'up tight' and most of us can never fully relax. If we allow this tension to build up in our bodies if can manifest itself as pain, stiffness, inflammation and disease. 

When we observe dogs we see that they often shake themselves many times throughout the day. Certainly, dogs will shake themselves off after coming out the bath or getting wet but dogs will also shake vigorously as a stress release mechanism. If you ever see a dog come out of a confrontation with another dog or animal, perhaps even after a fight the dog will shake itself off. Shaking is like a 'reset button' and it allows the dog to get rid of the unwanted negative energy it has picked up. If you have a dog you can observe when your dog does this. Animals always have something to teach us. 

One of the best times to practice shaking is first thing in the morning. As we have been sleeping and not moving our bodies all night it is important to shake your body in the morning, preferably before breakfast. Shaking is a revered practice in Qigong and many other martial art practices. I personally shake multiple times per day. It is a great pre-work out warm up and I even shake between sets at the gym to help my muscles stay relaxed and free from tension.

Here is a demonstration on how to shake :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zRqyVOecig

If you are feeling like you've picked up some unwanted energy from someone, if you have had a stressful day, or if you feel like you need to re-set your system and receive a huge boost of energy then shaking is your friend. The more time you spend shaking the more benefits you will get. At first shaking even for a few minutes can be very powerful. As you practice more you can work your way up to shaking for 11 minutes. Why not experiment and shake for an hour? It's important to remember to breathe whilst you shake. Keeping your breathing relaxed and steady will help you to release the tension and loosen up your body even further. 

HAPPY SHAKING!!